Free Republic

Over the last century of military aviation, several fighters have earned the nickname “flying coffin.” Military aviation inherently pushes up against the limits of technology and human endurance, particularly where fighter and pursuit aviation are concerned. Flying a fighter is remarkably dangerous, even when no one is trying to shoot you down. Engineering a capable fighter plane is also a struggle. Relatively small changes in engine, armament and airframe design can transform a clunker into an elite fighting machine. Many of the best fighters in history were initially viewed askance by their pilots.

The BellBoeing CV-22 crash in Afghanistan on 8 April was not caused by a mechanical failure, according to a source familiar with preliminary findings of the US military investigation. The fatal crash, which killed four and injured others, occurred after the pilot lost situational awareness while landing in a wadi around 1am under brown-out conditions, the source says. The incident killed the pilot, a flight engineer, an army Ranger and an unidentified civilian. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), which owns the CV-22 fleet, was not immediately available to comment. US military officials have previously stated the cause of the...

Airbus said a wing of a 550-seat A380, the world's biggest commercial aircraft, snapped during factory stress tests at its headquarters. The company said the incident won't delay the first deliveries due by the end of the year. Airbus spokeswoman Barbara Kracht said the rupture between two engines took place when the wing was going through "the last step" of a test where the wing tip is more than 24 feet away from its normal position when the aircraft is on the ground. "We'll be able to demonstrate" that the plane meets requirements, "maybe with some refinements needed for certification...